250 
ON THE NATURAL HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHICAL 
DISTRIBUTION OF LIVING AND EXTINCT 
BEARS. 
By A. LEITH ADAMS, M.B., F.R.S. 
T HE contracting of the range and feeding grounds and diver- 
sities of food and climate, from far back geological epochs 
up to the present day, have unquestionably influenced not only 
the bulk and outward aspect, but also modified the bony skeleton 
of many animals. 
With reference to the Bear Tribe, which is only one of many 
examples, we find that the largest specimens of fossilized in- 
dividuals discovered in European caverns, surface soils, and in 
bogs are relatively much larger than any instance among living 
species, only very bulky examples of the grizzly bear ( JJ. ferox) 
being comparable, and they fall short as regards dimensions. 
A comparison between the smaller fossil cave bear ( U. priscus) 
and the brown bear (JJ. arctos), shows that if not identical 
they were closely allied ; indeed, taking into consideration 
the various modes by which animals have been expelled from 
their ancient haunts, there seems good cause to suppose that 
these two bears claim a common ancestry. According, there- 
fore, to the above view it may be fairly advanced that the grizzly 
bear was at one time common to Europe and North America. 
Again, considering the relative degrees of ferocity of living 
species — and in these respects they differ specifically to some 
extent — it is well known that the grizzly bear is the only one 
which will attack man unchallenged ; indeed, the Arctic, brown, 
black, and sun bears, &c., rarely assail him, unless when pressed, 
as in case of wounds, or in guarding their young. We may 
believe, therefore, that primeval man would have waged a 
deadly warfare against so conspicuous and powerful an enemy, 
and would have exterminated the more ferocious bears, thus 
leaving the brown bear (JJrsus arctos) to pursue its ways and 
frequent its ancient haunts, until advancing civilization in 
Europe finally repelled it to a few mountainous and secluded 
regions. The alliance between the brown and grizzly bears is 
